Revealed: The Premier League's best players ranked squad numbers 1-11

It might seem obscure but an aspect of football that rankles traditional supporters deep to the core relates to the numbers worn by players. Long gone are the days of your starting XI wearing 1-11.

Centre-back William Gallas', for example, took Dennis Bergkamp's No.10 shirt at Arsenal when the Dutchman left the Gunners in 2006. Wolves' current No.11 is goalkeeper Rui Patricio. Chelsea's back-up right-back during the 2006/07 campaign, Khalid Boulahrouz, took the vacant No.9 shirt that season and then passed it on to defensive midfielder Steve Sidwell the following year. It doesn't make sense.

So this article is for the football purists out there. Those who take great delight to seeing 11 players stride out of the tunnel with the numbers 1-11 printed on their backs. It's quite rare. In fact, not since February 2008 when Manchester United honoured the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster has a team played 1-11 in the Premier League. And even that was a one off.

Here, however, we take a look at the top WhoScored rated XI of players to have made at least 100 Premier League appearances since August 2009 to have worn said shirt number 1-11 during their time in England.

#1 / Goalkeeper: Heurelho Gomes - 6.96 rating

There have been a lot of world class goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last decade but not all have donned the #1 jersey for their clubs. Thibaut Courtois had number 13 during his time at Chelsea, for example. However, it is former Tottenham shot-stopper and current Watford back-up Heurelho Gomes that is the top WhoScored rated goalkeeper in the number 1 jersey. The 39-year-old averages 3.1 saves per game in the Premier League since August 2009.

#2 / Right-back: Branislav Ivanovic - 7.16 rating

Branislav Ivanovic is perhaps unfairly overlooked when considering the Premier League's greatest right-backs but his contributions will always be remembered by Chelsea supporters. Ivanovic was a pillar of consistency for the most part of his nine-year stint at Stamford Bridge up until his departure in 2017. Only two players made more league appearances for Chelsea in the last decade than the Serb, illustrating his importance. He was also a regular goalscorer from right-back and chipped in with 26 goals across league and European competition from 2010-2017.

#3 / Left-back: Patrice Evra - 7.28 rating

After a shaky start to life at Manchester United, Patrice Evra very quickly flourished into one of the Premier League's most successful left-backs. Most of his glory years came before 2009/10 but he was still a tremendous player for United thereafter. The former France international added two more Premier League titles to his collection from that period onwards before eventually swapping United for Juventus in 2014.

#4 / Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk - 7.42 rating

Virgil van Dijk has quickly developed into the standout centre-back in world football in the last two years and will no doubt be considered one of the best to have ever played in the Premier League let alone in the last 10 years by the end of his career. Van Dijk is unsurprisingly the clear winner in terms of the highest WhoScored rated #4 in the last decade of the Premier League. Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany was closest to challenging the Dutchman.

#5 / Centre-back: Jan Vertonghen - 7.16 rating

Tottenham have done very well to keep Jan Vertonghen on their own terms, as the Belgium international has at one point during his eight-year stint at the club been considered one of the league's best defenders. The 33-year-old is now set to depart Tottenham on a free transfer this summer but is recognised as the best #5 of the Premier League's last 10 years. For those wondering about Nemanja Vidic, the former Manchester United ace wore the #15 shirt during his time at Old Trafford.

#6 / Central midfield: Paul Pogba - 7.44 rating

Paul Pogba has been subject to plenty of criticism since his return to Manchester United four years ago but he still offers a skillset unlike anything on offer in the game at the moment. For someone so tall and physically imposing, Pogba has the dancing feet of a winger and the sharpness of mind of a pint-sized creative midfielder. Pogba sneaks into the XI with two more appearances than required to qualify but has played a direct hand in 49 goals during that time. Furthermore, no player to qualify for the #6 jersey has completed more through balls than the 2018 World Cup winner (29).

#7 / Striker: Luis Suarez - 7.87 rating

The end of Luis Suarez's time at Liverpool was marred in controversy but he will no doubt be considered one of the best striker's in Premier League history. The Uruguay international scored 31 goals and provided 12 assists in 33 league appearances in his final campaign for the Reds (2013/14). Suarez finished his whirlwind spell at Anfield with a remarkable record of 92 goals and assists in 110 Premier League appearances. He is the top WhoScored rated player in the XI.

#8 / Central midfield: Steven Gerrard - 7.43 rating

Almost everything Steven Gerrard won as a Liverpool player came before 2009/10 and he really was the glue that held the club together up until recently. Gerrard is considered one of the best midfielders in Premier League history as a result of the immense leadership skills he showed at Anfield. In his penultimate season at Liverpool, Gerrard registered double figures for goals and assists (13 each). From August 2009, Gerrard played a direct hand in 86 goals in 171 league appearances and won the WhoScored Man of the Match award on 21 occasions.

#9 / Striker: Roberto Firmino - 7.32 rating

Roberto Firmino will likely never be in the category of the Premier League's greatest players but his importance to Liverpool's current side is unquestionable. Firmino carries out the centre-forward role unlike few out there and his selflessness is what helps make Liverpool's front three so dangerous. Firmino reached double figures for goals in each of his first four seasons for the Reds and only needs two more from Liverpool's closing games to do so again in 2019/20. With 56 goals to his name, Firmino is also the top scoring Brazilian in Premier League history.

#10 / Left wing: Eden Hazard - 7.64 rating

After years of speculation linking Eden Hazard with a move away from Chelsea, the Belgium international finally sealed a move to Real Madrid in the summer. Before that, however, during his seven years at Chelsea he was considered one of the Premier League's best players. He finished his time at Stamford Bridge 139 goals and assists in 245 league appearances. Hazard has also completed more dribbles than any other player in the Premier League since 2009 (909). Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney are notable names to miss out as a result of Hazard taking the #10 spot in the XI.

#11 / Right wing: Gareth Bale - 7.66 rating

Like Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale eventually outgrew what was on offer in England and succummbed to the allure of Real Madrid, albeit six years earlier. The last two years of Bale's stint at Tottenham were formidable, as the Wales international was finally able to stay fit. Bale finished his time at Tottenham with 60 goals and assists in 122 league appearances from August 2009 to the point of his world record departure to Madrid.